


Fangs and Claws of the Modern Man

by Cryptkeeper (orphan_account)



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Crack Treated Seriously, Crazy Rick, Daryl Is Prison Survivor Leader Instead Of Rick, Feral Rick, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Gore, I Can't Take Anything Seriously, Kissing, Let's be honest, M/M, No Terminus (Walking Dead), Non-sexual, Out of Character, Philip Blake | The Governor Is Dead, Post-Woodbury, Prison Never Falls, Prison Story Arc, Rick Never Went To Atlanta, Season/Series 04, Short One Shot, This Would Be A Great Fic If I Wasn't The Author, Violence Against Walkers, Walkers (Walking Dead), Zombie Apocalypse, more fluff than anything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 08:58:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5450918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Cryptkeeper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On a hunt Daryl, one of the leaders of the Prison survivors, comes across a wounded feral man caught in a bear trap and surrounded by walkers, but will the wild man who was once Carl's father be able to find his way back to sanity? If not, is it really safe to get close to someone who is more animal than human anymore?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fangs and Claws of the Modern Man

**Fangs and Claws of the Modern Man by KissTheBoogeyman**

** **

Daryl Dixon never asked to be the leader of the Prison group.

He came into the position by a fluke of necessity when their formor leader went crazy and committed suicide via CDC explosion, nearly taking all off them out in the process. Why they gave him the job syill beats him. Maybe it is because he is the one who got them out, searched day in and day out for little Sophia, took care of Carl after he got shot, and he us the one who keeps all of them fed before he so much as nibbles on anything he catches. He probably still has the job because he is Judith's main caretaker, Carl's mentor, Michonne's partner, and everyone's executioner or protector when that's what he needs to be for them. Regardless, he is the leader of their little group, now much bigger with all the firmor Woodbury people living in the prison with them, and he can't say he loves or hates the job.

Still, leader or not, he is first and foremost a hunter. The benefit of their democracy is that he can leave Herschel and Michonne in charge and disappear into the forest for a few days to track down some big game for them to feast on without the prison falling into anarchy. He wanders off into the woods more often than he can count snd always returns with the Woodbury folk treating him like some hero even though he knows he's nothing but a no good redneck with bad social skills and too much blood on his hands to ever be considered a good person.

It is on a run, shortly after the flu outbreak that damn near almost killed everyone that he finds the man he will later know by the name Rick Grimes. He is caugt in a beartrap, one Daryl himself set for catching walkers before they get too close to their fences, surrounded by walkers. His leg is caught with bone showing and torn flesh shoeing he has been trying to escape. Daryl thinks he is a walker at first, pale skin covered in blood, his black hair and beard long and matted, growing and hissing at the walkers, but then he happens to catch the man's eyes, beautiful wild blue eyes, and the man blinks before he turns back to the walkers and punches one in the face so hard Daryl almost sympathizes with the undead bastard. Daryl shoots down the others while he takes another walker and starts bashing it's head against a tree.

When he gets the man's leg out of the trap he does not expect to be treated to a smile of filed down sharp teeth before the man steals his hunting knife off his belt and manages to run off, leaving no track which is impressive considering his leg is gushing blood and Daryl is pretty much the best tracker in Georgia... And possibly the apocalypse.

He finds the man again four days later, crouching on a rock over a deer he had been tracking since shortly after he met the feral man, fending off a couple walkers, another corpse oozing black blood on the ground, with the hunting knife he had stolen.

"Have ta take this t'ma group." he informs the man. "But since as ya jest saved ma hunt, I can share if ya want."

The wild man just shrugs. "You can take your kill." he says, and his voice is hoarse like he hasn't used it in a long time. Daryl is almost surprised he can talk, and even more surprised to hear the Georgia drawl in his gravelly voice. "I can hunt myself."

He looks like he is about to disappear again. "Hey, if ya need a place ta lie down yer welcome ta come to the prison a few miles back. Don't gotta stay or nothin' but it'd be safer than out here."

The man chuckles. "Been fine out here." he says. "Thanks."

And then he is gone once more and Daryl is heading back to the Prison, hoping Herschel and Michonne won't be too angry at him for staying out so long.

It becomes a thing of sorts. Over the next few months the man comes and goes when he pleases. Sometimes he is killing walkers, sometimes he is just sitting in the trees, sometimes they talk, other times he is gone after a wave of his oddly long-nailed hands. He's a good man, Daryl realizes, under all the crazy and animal instinct. It sometimes shows through but then he is back to being the same animalistic predator that the apocalypse has turned him into.

Eventually he gets a story, still no name, but a tale. He tells Daryl how he woke up out of a coma two months into the apocalypse. How he followed the railroad tracks to a safe place called Terminus. How two weeks after he got there people came in and tore their safe zone to peices, killing, raping, and burning their way through until the frightened surviving people of Terminus turned to murder and cannibalism to survive. He apparently ran shortly after and has spent all his time in the forest surviving.

Daryl has always known he would eventually end up bringing him back to the prison. He has always known that one day he would have to introduce the group to his wildman. That said, when he finally shows up at the gate to be let in with a couple rabbits strung over his shoulder like a peace offering, Daryl doesn't expect him to look at Carl like he is sering a ghost, or for the twelve year old to give him the same look.

"Carl?" he chokes out.

At the same time Carl says, "Dad?"

After the two hug it out, and some short explanations and promises to explain, they are standing face to face. "Gonna stick around Rick Grimes?" he asks.

"Might." Rick answers. "Still waitin' for you ta kiss me after all."

Daryl blushes and Maggie and Glenn wolf whistle. Daryl looks at Carl for permission and the kid shrugs.

"Rude ta keep a man waitin' I s'pose." he says, and he gives the man a short kiss, blushing and flipping everyone off when they start laughing and clapping like he did something heroic or whatever.

Rick grins and the clapping sort of dies and the laughs turn oddly high pitched. Oh yeah, he forgot about those teeth of his. Daryl briefly wonders why he filed them down anyways, but then Judith is crying and he decides it can wait. He did say he was staying around after all.


End file.
